Battle of Safed

The Battle of Safed (276 BC) was a battle of the Wars of the Diadochi between the Ptolemaic Empire and the Seleucid Empire. The Egyptian army, made up of Nile Spearmen, formed phalanxes and repulsed the Seleucid attack, with the death of the Seleucid general Ariphron of Tabqah leading to a Seleucid rout.

Battle
An army of 773 Seleucid troops under Ariphron of Tabqah attacked Tanutamun of Zifta's 722-strong Egyptian army at Safed in present-day northern Israel in hopes of advancing on to Jerusalem, which they intended to capture. However, the Egyptian army halted and fought them in a pitched battle, in which they deployed their Pharaoh's Guards in phalanxes. The Seleucids had Militia Hoplites backing up their general, and they also formed a phalanx spear wall. The Seleucids went on the offensive, and their general led from the front. However, their general rode into a phalanx and was impaled with a spear, leading to panic in the Seleucid army. Many Seleucid units retreated under fire from Egyptian bowmen, and they routed. 416 Seleucid and 27 Egyptian troops were killed in an Egyptian victory.